Here's how to benefit from the season's best-tasting, most nutritious staples

Winter Squash

Butternut and acorn squash are great sources of the cancer-fighting antioxidants alpha- and beta-carotene. Cut these vegetables in half and bake face down, with 1/2 cup of water added to the baking dish, at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes. Or, peel, cube, and steam for 15 minutes. There's also canned pumpkin—it's quick and as tasty in soups as it is in pies.

Root VegetablesLook for rutabagas and turnips, which, like broccoli, are cruciferous vegetables, replete with cancer-fighting isothiocyanates. Cook them just as you would potatoes. Another winter pick: beets, which get their jewel-red color from betalains, compounds that have been shown to protect your heart. Comfortably familiar carrots and sweet potatoes supply three to five times your daily requirement of vitamin A in a single serving.

Cooking GreensLeafy greens are so nutritious that the National Cancer Institute recommends eating them daily. They provide lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect your eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration. And the cruciferous vegetables—cabbage, kale, mustard and turnip greens, and Swiss chard—are also rich in those aforementioned isothiocyanates. Just wash, cut off the tough bottom stems, and with water droplets clinging, sauté until limp in olive oil seasoned with garlic, ginger, or other spices.

Winter Salad GreensWinter arugula, grown in Florida, is crisper and better tasting now than at any other time of year. Watercress is another delicious cold-weather star. Both vegetablea re nutritious and cruciferous. And watercress is rich in a particularly potent cancer-fighting isothiocyanate known as PEITC. These two peppery greens also work well (for most tastes, separately, rather than together) in a stir-fry, casserole, or soup.

Select Frozen VeggiesBecause vegetables are flash frozen at the peak of ripeness, they're often more nutritious than the fresh stuff that's been languishing in the produce bins. Go for Asian stir-fry or other mixes to capture the widest variety of healthful nutrients. Your pick should include one or more of the following: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. For a fun change of pace, try edamame (young, green soybeans).

Canned Tomatoes and Tomato SaucesThey're the foundation for an endless variety of stews, soups, and pasta sauces.[pagebreak]Fall Fruits with Staying PowerApples and pears, along with grapefruit, oranges, and other citrus, are flavorful into spring. Grate antioxidant-packed citrus peel into fruit salads, rice dishes, and muffins.

Dried FruitDried cranberries are among the best sources of proanthocyanidins, powerful antioxidants that also help prevent urinary tract infections. A 1/3-cup serving confers the same protection as roughly 8 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail. Dried plums (aka prunes) are among the fruits ranked highest in antioxidants, USDA research shows. And 1/4 cup of apricots supplies three-quarters of the daily requirement for vitamin A. Just remember: A serving is usually 1/4 cup, because dried fruits are calorically, as well as nutritionally, dense.

Choice Frozen FruitsLike vegetables, fruits are flash frozen at their ripest. Your best-tasting and most nutritious bets: berries (loaded with antioxidants) and mangoes (with beta-carotene). Toss 1/2 cup each of blueberries and raspberries into a smoothie, or add to pancakes and breads.

Whole Grain CerealsLook for whole grain oats, wheat, amaranth, quinoa, or brown rice. The nutritional payoff: fiber, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds called phytochemicals. There might be a weight loss payoff, too: One study found that people who ate oatmeal felt less hungry. Bolster your calcium intake by using equal parts fat-free or 1% milk and water to cook. Impart a creamier consistency by letting the grain and the liquid warm up together, rather than stirring the grain into the hot liquid.

BeansStaples in hearty soups and chilis, dried beans are superlative sources of iron, fiber, and heart disease-fighting folic acid. Some, such as white, great Northern, and navy, are also respectable sources of calcium. There's nothing wrong with using canned beans; just rinse to rid them of excess sodium. Or try reduced-sodium brands.

Soups and BrothsThey're not raw ingredients, but they're so versatile, you can use them as if they were. Try the creamy—but not fatty—vegetable-based butternut squash, portobello mushroom, broccoli, and tomato soups sold in resealable paper cartons by Pacific, Imagine, and Whole Foods. Add 2 tablespoons of whole wheat couscous, greens, and canned beans, and simmer for a few minutes. Serve with a little grated cheese. Cook veggies and grain pilafs in broths for added depth of flavor. The cancer-fighting vegetables will taste like they've been braised in butter.